The iPhone Duo South Africa price list has been published, and it runs from R47,999 for the 256GB model to R76,999 for the 2TB version, according to TechCentral’s report on iStore’s website pricing. The Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone, and iStore has opened it for pre-order with shipping quoted at one to two weeks.
What iStore is charging for each model
TechCentral lists four storage tiers. The 256GB model costs R47,999, the 512GB model R52,999, the 1TB model R62,499 and the 2TB model R76,999. Moving up a tier therefore adds R5,000, then R9,500, then R14,500, and a buyer who picks the 2TB phone over the base model pays R29,000 more.
At the top of the range the Duo is the most expensive iPhone in iStore’s catalogue. TechCentral notes that the 2TB Duo costs R17,000 more than iStore’s 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max, which sells for R59,999.
Only iStore is named as a seller in the reports we reviewed, and neither TechCentral nor ITWeb mentions any mobile network operator. ITWeb says pre-orders also run through other selected channels but does not name them. We could not find a second outlet that publishes the full local price list, so the figures above rest on TechCentral’s reading of the iStore site. Check the retailer’s page before you commit.
How the prices compare with earlier estimates
The local prices came in below what had been expected. TechCentral said in September that, based on US pricing, the base model would probably cost more than R50,000 and the 2TB model more than R80,000. ITWeb reported on 22 September that the phone was expected to cost more than R50,000 and that iStore had not yet announced official local pricing. Those were projections, and the actual R47,999 and R76,999 price points are lower.
What the phone is
ITWeb’s report describes a foldable with a 7.6-inch internal screen when open and a 5.4-inch external screen when closed. It lists the Apple A20 Pro chip and iOS 27, a weight of 254g when open and a thickness of 5.2mm when unfolded. Storage ranges from 256GB to 2TB, per iStore. The features ITWeb highlights are side-by-side apps, hands-free FaceTime and flexible viewing angles for different orientations and multitasking.
Availability and dates
ITWeb says pre-orders open on 16 October and that, according to the Apple South Africa website, the phone becomes available on 23 October in South Africa and in about 70 other countries and regions. At the time of that report iStore’s chief executive could not confirm the local launch date. TechCentral says iStore currently quotes shipping within one to two weeks of a pre-order. The two reports describe timing differently, so confirm the delivery date with the retailer when you order.
The premium over US prices
On Apple’s US online store the Duo is priced from US$1,999 to US$3,199 before sales tax. TechCentral converted the base price at R16.46 to the dollar and added South Africa’s 15% value-added tax, arriving at about R37,800. On that basis the R47,999 local price is roughly 27% higher. The publication points out that US prices exclude sales tax, so the comparison overstates the gap for American buyers.
The same exercise on Apple’s other new products gives smaller gaps. HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K sell for US$299 in the United States and R6,299 locally, a premium of about 11%. The HomePod mini 2 costs US$149 and R3,499 locally, about 24%. TechCentral says some premium over a straight conversion is normal, but the Duo’s is more than double that of HomeView and Apple TV.
Apple’s other new products
HomeView is a 7-inch smart-home display that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a table. It is built around Apple’s upgraded Siri, which is available in South Africa. It costs R6,299 and ships from 13 November, the same price and date given for the new Apple TV 4K. The HomePod mini 2 is listed at R3,499, and TechCentral does not give a shipping date for it. The 2022 Apple TV 4K remains on sale from R4,199.
